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On the final night of their US tour British Sea Power let loose the likes we have not seen before. Three years ago, their final night show at Maxwell’s was a hoot, but what went down at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night was a grade above. The show began with unbridled energy as the band ripped through a series of Yan songs normally reserved for the end of the set. And it was that end of the set where things pretty much became anarchy. Following a strong version of “Stunde Null” from 2011’s Valhalla Dancehall, the show took on a decidedly crazy bent, as show-opener and former BSP keyboardist and current Brakes leader Eamon Hamilton pranced around the stage and ultimately the entire venue with a single drum and space helmet — an act he was reprising from his days in the band. The rare-ish “Apologies to Insect Life” followed and led through a cacophonous transition to the improv number “The Spirit of St. Louis”. As “Spirit” is generally reserved for the end of the show hijinks, the last half hour was as unpredictable as it was uncontrolled. The band shelved the encore on-off stage cliche, but instead launched directly into their early Top 40 UK single “Carrion” followed by a version of “Rock in A” that led to about half the crowd joining the crowd on stage, along with Eamon and the other opener A Classic Education. After nearly two hours, the show didn’t end as much as it just devolved into mayhem, as band and crowd danced on stage until the beat was lost and exhaustion caused the band to give up trying to hold it together. It was perhaps the perfect ending for a show as crazy, inspired, and completely entertaining as we have seen all year.

I recorded this set from the standard balcony location in this venue with the four-microphone rig. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “No Lucifer”:

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Setlist:
[Total Time 1:53:21]
01 Lights Out For Darker Skies
02 Atom
03 Who’s In Control
04 We Are Sound
05 Oh Larsen B
06 [banter]
07 Luna
08 Blackout
09 Baby
10 Once More Now
11 It Ended On An Oily Stage
12 [banter2]
13 Living Is So Easy
14 Mongk II
15 No Lucifer
16 Stunde Null
17 Apologies To Insect Life
18 The Spirit Of St. Louis
19 Waving Flags
20 The Great Skua
21 Carrion – All In It
22 Rock in A (and mayhem)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT British Sea Power, visit their website, and purchase their new release Valhalla Dancehall from Rough Trade Records.

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